OtterPops: Kid Update

Jocelyn has had an exciting couple months as school. She was desperately awaiting her turn to be the classroom VIP since school began last August. It took until April to finally have her name drawn to take "Little Critter's Little Sister" home for the weekend. During the visit they are supposed to include her in any fun weekend activities and write a journal entry about it (with a picture). Luckily, we had just completed our "kindness counter" challenge (thank you Emily and the Titus boys for your inspiration) which meant that we had earned our family trip to Pieology (a pizza pie restaurant akin to Subway where you personalize each pizza). She also joined Jocelyn for a bowling birthday party for our neighbor and Friday movie night.

Out to Pieology with Little Critter's sister

Jocelyn also recently had a fieldtrip to Machado school, a local historical gem built in the late 1800s. This two-room school house is like a living history/discovery fieldtrip and I was able to chaperone her group while they attended their science stations and the exciting four square dancing. This week she had her 2nd grade end of year performance where they performed a whole list of 1950s songs complete with actions, props, and costumes. Aunt Maren and Claire came to support her along with the rest of our family. Excitement surrounding the practices and preparation was oh so intense!

Jocelyn Machado Fieldtrip

Machado Field Trip Square Dancing

Jocelyn with friends after 2nd grade performance

Jocelyn has also really enjoyed participating in the church Activity Day Girls this year. Her last couple activities were especially exciting as they learned how to care for and ride horses. They also worked really hard on completing their Mother's Day gifts (she cross-stitched a pillow of her own design) and put together a darling Mother/Daughter breakfast on Mother's Day weekend.

Jocelyn at Horse Activity

Joc and Cait with pillow that she made

Jocelyn and Lillian participated in another MAD Friday performance to complete their spring "Music Art and Drama" program at the presbyterian church with our neighbors. The story was all about David & Goliath and had some really cute music. Jocelyn (on her own) tried out for a solo and did an awesome job performing!! Way braver than I was at her age!

Girls at MAD Friday Performance

Lillian has also had some really fun events at school. One of her good buddies in her classroom won an auction item (at the school fundraiser) to have pizza in the park with their teacher for lunch one day (and the other 1st grade teachers with their respective auction winners). They were each able to bring one friend with them and Lillian was selected by Madeleine. It sounded like they had a great time and although there was some drama over whether or not it was going to get rained out, the CA drought pulled through and there was nothing but some gray clouds to damper the lunch hour.

Pizza picnic at the park with 1st grade teachers

Lillian with Mrs. Pollard

Lillian also had a fieldtrip to Machado school that I chaperoned and that was, indeed, rained out (at least by lunchtime and the last two stations). The kids were still completely thrilled to be out of the classroom and learning about school 100 years ago. Here she is with the aprons the girls have to wear, and the group shot in front of the school. We also attended the girl's school open house this week where they were able to show off their work and science projects, etc. I am at the school often volunteering and am helping with homework all the time, but they had fun showing off to Jared and to take their younger siblings into their classrooms, etc.

Lillian at Machado Field Trip

Lillian at Machado fieldtrip

This last weekend was the "Father's and Son's" Campout at church so we did our usual Jamba Juice and at-home Spa Night. Luckily, some neighbors and friends joined us to make it more exciting.

Jocelyn during spa night

As I mentioned, this last weekend was the Annual Father's and Son's Campout with no small amount of anticipation from Jonas. In fact, the entire week leading up to it if we wanted Jonas to cooperate or be obedient in any way we would just have to mention "Fathers & Sons" and Jonas would completely comply. One morning a couple days before the campout at 3 am Jonas had come into our room for some reason and Jared somehow talked him into going back into his own bed without any assistance by just dropping the "Fathers and Sons" line while I was still half asleep. It worked like a charm! And it definitely delivered. They camped in a tent (we are all grateful Jared's health was feeling up to it this year!!), made s'mores by the fire, went fishing and on a paddleboat. According to Jonas, they were the best 16 hours of the whole year! I packed him his favorite blankie which we was very excited about and told me "thank you for letting me take him!" He was disappointed we hadn't taken his favorite blanket to D.C. a couple months ago and told me the next time we go on an airplane we will have to take "dainty" with us.

Setting up the tent for Father's and Son's

Making S'mores while camping

Jonas also had a Field trip recently to the fire station. Emma and I joined him for a very nice tour and presentation at the local fire station. Emma was having none of it and was totally scared by the fireman in all his get-up but Jonas was taken with the whole thing and wore his little plastic helmet non-stop for the 3 days it held together (and that was with the help of some duct tape Lilly mended it with). Jared has been trying to work with Jonas on riding a bike sans training wheels but in the mean time he is rocking the scooter and the tricycle. Jonas and his buddies play non-stop on our trampoline. They usually have plenty of balls and a weapon each with which to fight the "bad guys". This is really one of the only things they do when they come over (besides the short stints with action figures when they want to come inside). It is like an unspoken agreement when any friends come over. They immediately each grab a weapon and head out to the trampoline. It seems to use up their energy and they have minimal arguments so it works for me! This last weekend we also had Jonas's preschool graduation. He will probably be participating in the Transitional Kinder program through the district next fall so it was fun to be able to get together with all the families that we have worked with for the past couple years in the home co-op preschool for a simple graduation and potluck dinner. The kids were so excited and it was cute to see them all in their homemade caps.

Jonas and buddy jumping on trampoline

Jonas at preschool fire station field trip

On the front of the fire truck

Jonas on his scooter ready to head out

Graduate Jonas

Jonas with his class (minus Kyler)

Our big news this month was that Emma Potty Trained! Or at least is most of the way there. She honestly stays more dry at night than Jonas and although she is still a little unsure about going #2 on the potty, she run errands with me and is babysat at friend's houses successfully keeping dry! Yay!! She also thinks this gives her all sorts of license to dress herself so we have some pretty rockin' outfits like the one seen below (just panties and boots). She is getting bigger and bigger and I have to stop myself from calling her "the baby" because people give me funny looks. Here she is "doodling" in her journal.

Unfortunately right now she has her 2nd double ear infection in 7 weeks so we are trying to figure out what that is all about. Poor thing! She has been fevering all week and really clingy but at least she is old enough to tell me her ear hurts (even if it is all night long). Poor thing had the same problem all of spring break so we are trying to keep her out of water (which is torturous since summer is upon us and she does NOT want left out when all the older kids are swimming), watch her milk intake and see what might help her (on top of antibiotics and ear drops).

Last month when Emma and I were home in the kitchen area together I heard her singing song that took me a few seconds to register. I was texting and realized all of the sudden that she was saying "cut the hair, cut the hair". I finally realized the lyrics to her song could be important and looked up to find that she was, indeed, cutting her hair. I had brought a pair of scissors out to cut up some snacks for her and must have left them near her. She usually is fairly responsible with scissors but perhaps her hair was in the way and she couldn't resist! We had a firm talk and I have since tried to pull her hair back a little more so she doesn't get the urge to give it another trim!